Wire drawing apparatus



Oct. 31, 1933. J. R. SHEA 1,932,491

WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 43 fine/7f J fl. 5/264 Oct. 31, 1933. J, R. SHEA 1,932,491

WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [*ltjliiiliiiliz l 5 @125 "427i m 151- 7 aRmw M w Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Application January 8, 1931. Serial No. 507,405

2 Claims.

This invention relates to wire drawing apparatus, and more particularly to die supporting mechanism for wire drawing machines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for drawing wire of a uniform cross-section at a high speed.

In accordance with one embodiment, as applied to wire drawing apparatus of the type wherein two sets of drawing capstans are provided for advancing the wire through two separate sets of dies, which capstans are rotated at different rates of speed, the invention contemplates the provision of a die supporting means associated with each of the capstans and adapted to be oscillated so as to impart a circular motion to each of the dies supported by the die supporting means.

It is believed that a complete understanding of the in ention may be had by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of apparatus embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one of the die supporting means;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, the numerals 10 and 11 indicate upper and lower, stepped, wire drawing capstans mounted upon shafts 14 and 15, respectively, around which a strand of wire 12 is passed a plurality of times. Conventional idler pulleys 13 and 17 are associated with the capstans 10 and 11, respectively, being positioned to the left thereof (Fig. 1) and between the idler 13 and the capstan 10 and idler 17 and capstan 11, respectively, there are provided sets of die supporting members designated generally by the numerals 18 and 19, respectively. The capstans 10 and 11 are driven by a driving motor (not shown) and at different rates of speed, the capstan 10 being rotated at a much higher rate of speed than the capstan 11.

Connected to the shaft 15 of the capstan 11 is a spur gear 20 which meshes with a large spur gear 21 fixedly mounted upon a shaft 22. The shaft 22 also has secured thereto a worm gear 26 which meshes with a worm wheel 27 pinned to a vertically extending drive shaft 28 suitably journaled in bearings 29, 30 and 31. The shaft 28 carries at its extreme upper and lower ends beveled gears 35 and 36, respectively, which mesh with and drive beveled gears 37 and 38, mounted upon shafts 41 and 42. Secured to the shaft 41 is a gear which meshes with a beveled shelf driving gear 39 and secured to the shaft 42 is a gear 46 which meshes with a beveled shelf driving gear 40 of a somewhat larger diameter than the shelf driving gear 39 so that the shelf driving gear 39 will drive its associated shelf at a faster rate of speed than the gear 40 will drive its shelf. The die supporting members 18 and 19 are identical in construction and for the sake of simplifying the description, only the die supporting member 18 will be described, it being understood, however, that the construction and operation of the die supporting member 19 is exactly the same as that of the member 18, except that the driving gears for the two shelves are of different sizes so that the speed of rotation thereof is proportional to the mean speed of the wire being drawn by the capstan with which the respective shelf driving gear is associated.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the die supporting member 18 comprises a housing 43 secured to a side wall 44 of the wire draw- 86 ing machine and having mounted therein a reciprocable die shelf 53 which is held in position within the housing by eccentric pins 54 and 55 freely rotatable in apertures 56, 57, 58 and 59 in the housing 43. The apertures 56 and .57 are concentric and the apertures 58 and 59 are eccentric, the central portion 62 (Fig. 4), of the eccentric pins being formed eccentrically with respect-to the apertures in which the pins are journaled so that upon rotary motion being imparted to the eccentric pins the die shelf 53 will receive a reciprocatory motion'while any point on the shelf will have imparted thereto a circular motion.

The shelf driving gear 39 which is formed integral withthe eccentric pin 54 has pinned thereto one end of a connectingrod 63, the other end of which is connected eccentrically to a driving member 64 secured to the eccentric pin 55 so that upon rotation of the shelf driving gear 39 to rotate the eccentric pin 54 a rotary motion will also be imparted to the eccentric pin 55. At the left side of the housing 43 (Fig. 2) driving members 65 and 66 are secured to the ends of the eccentric pins 54 and 55, respectively, and have pivotally connected eccentrically thereof a connecting rod 67 for cooperating with the connecting rod 63 to drive the eccentric pin 55.

The die supporting members 18 and 19 are angularly disposed upon the side wall 44 of the wire drawing machine and support the die shelves 53 which have projections 68, 69, 70 and 71 formed thereon at right angles to the path of the strand of wire 12 for supporting dies 72. The projections 68 and 69 of the upper die shelf 53 and the projections 70 and 71 of the lower die shelf 53 are arranged in staggered relation so that the strand of wire in passing to the first or smallest step of the capstan 10 passes through the die 72 supported by the projection 69, and in passing to the next step of the capstan 10 passes through the die 72 supported by the projection 68, successive passes of wire alternately passing through dies supported by the projection 68 and those supported by the projection 69.

The wire 12, after passing through the series of dies on the shelf. 19, is elongated, and the capstan 11 is rotated at a definite rate of speed to draw the wire therethrough. In order to keep the wire taut and .to compensate for the further elongation of the wire as it is drawn through the series of dies on shelf 18, the capstan 10 must be rotated at an increased rate of speed as compared with the rate of speed of the capstan 11. The shelf 19 is given a predetermined number of transverse rotary motions for each linear foot of wire being.v drawn through the dies carried thereby, which would also be in definite proportion to the rate of speed of the capstan 11. Inasmuch as the capstan 10 must rotate at an increased rate of speed and the wire is being drawn through the series of dies carried by the shelf 18 at an increased rate of speed, then this'shelf 18 must be given an increased rate of speed so as to impart thereto the predetermined number'of transverse rotary motions for each linear foot of wire being drawn through the dies carried thereby, and which would also be in definite proportion to the rate of speed of the capstan 10.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following brief description of the operation of the mechanism described hereinbefore. tapered by any known means is threaded through the left hand die (Fig. .3) adjacent the projection '71, thence around the smallest step of the capstan 11 in the direction of the arrows (Fig. 1), then: back to the idler 17 and through the second'die 72 from the leftv (Fig. 3) which is supported by the projection '70 of the lower die shelf, around the next larger step of the capstan and back to the idler. After the strand 12 has been passed through all of the dies supported by the die supporting member 19 it is directed around the capstan 11 to the idler 17 and upwardly to the idler 13 and thence through the lowest or left hand (Fig. 3) die 72 of the upper die shelf, and around the capstan 10 and idler 13 in the same manner as described in connection with the capstan 11 and idler 17, it being understood that the capstan 10 is driven at speed greater than that of the capstan 11 in order to compensate for'the' elongation of the wire during the drawing operation. After the dies have been threaded and the strand of wire 12 has been A strand of wire 12 which has beenwhich will in turn through the connecting rods 63 and 65 drive the eccentric pins 55. Rotation of the eccentric pins 54 and 55 will impart a reciprocatory motion to the die shelves 53 carrying with them the dies 72, each of which will be moved in a circular-path at av rate of speed proportional to the speed of the capstanv with which it is associated, thereby causing the wire being drawn therethrough to be moved transversely of the steps of the capstansto prevent wearing grooves in the'periphery of a the capstans and simultaneously will cause the wire to rub or wipe the entire circumference of the mouth of each of the dies to prevent the accumulation of deposits of metallic dust in the dies, thereby prolonging the life of the dies.

Although this invention has been described as relating to a specific type of wire drawing machine and a specific type of mechanism for imparting a rotary motion to the dies of the machine, it will be understood that modifications and adaptations of the'mechanism described may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire drawing apparatus for drawing a single unbroken strand of wire, a high speed capstan, a low speed capstan positioned below the high speed capstan, an idler pulley associated with each capstan and positioned in substantially the same horizontal plane as its associated capstan, die shelves positioned between the idlers and their associated capstans for supporting a plurality of dies, and means comprising individual pairs of eccentric pins for supporting said die shelves and driven from one of the capstans for imparting an oscillatory motion to the shelves to move the dies supported therebyin a circular path at a rate of speed proportional to the mean speed of the wire past the shelf.

2. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die shelf having individual cylindrical bores therethrough at each of two ends thereof, a housing having individual pairs of concentric cylindrical bores therethrough eccentric with respect to the bores through the die shelf, a pair of eccentric pins extending through the die shelf and the housing within the bores of the die shelf and the housing for supporting the shelf, means for rotating one of said eccentricpins, a drive member attached to each end of each of said eccentric pins, and a pair of connecting rods pivotally connected to said drive members eccentric with respect to the bores through said housing for causing the eccentric pins to rotate in synchronism.

JOHN R. SHEA. 

